Barnes & Noble’s novel approach to Black Friday

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Games, giveaways, book signings and personalized recommendations will be offered as part of “Discovery Friday,” event Barnes & Noble has planned for November 22 to pre-empt the doorbuster madness that will occur the following week on Black Friday.

All of the retailer’s stores nationwide will participate in the Discovery Friday event which Barnes & Noble said was created to serve as the official launch of the holiday shopping season and help customers experience the thrill of discovering the perfect gifts for friends and family. On Discovery Friday, Barnes & Noble’s said its booksellers will be on the front lines to provide personalized recommendations at its nearly 700 stores, an experience that Amazon.com can’t rival.

“Barnes & Noble offers the ultimate holiday shopping experience for customers who enjoy the art of discovery, appreciate the human touch and recognize that the best recommendations don’t come from an algorithm,” said Mitchell Klipper, CEO of the Barnes & Noble Retail Group. “Discovery Friday shines a light on our 40,000 booksellers, undeniably our greatest asset, and also celebrates our customers by bringing the spirit of fun and discovery to their holiday shopping experience.”

According to Klipper, the retailer partnered with the top publishers and hundreds of special guests to create an incredible lineup of events and family friendly activities in every one of its stores in addition to limited duration promotions on Nook products and accessories.